uniform

[UTEpee]

hello all,

im in the market for a new uni, my cheapo BG stuff is beginning to wear out, and ive got a question for the knowledgeable people here. Im of a quite thin build, and was wondering if there is a line of uniforms that suit my body type, without having the "looseness" that can catch points for epee? im not looking for FIE gear necessarily, but if thats what it takes i suppose i can save up. mainly im looking for a close fitting(not superhero skintight stuff) affordable, durable uniform. would custom sizing be an affordable option? thanks for your help.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Hey there!

I am sure you will get lots of useful replies from the US people about brands that I'm not familiar with.

Anyway, as I am a great fan of allstar I just want to inform you that you can indeed have a new kit that fits! Check out their "fencing uniform" size chart. There are different sizes for different 'builds'.

I am sure that other manufacturers (atleast the most common brands) will have something similar, so you shouldn't need to spend a lot of money having your new kit custom tailored.

Best of luck!

[CvilleFencer]

If you want a custom fit, chances are you are going to want to have it custom sized. For a lot of places (BG, ELI, TCA etc) a "Custom" fit just means extending the pattern so it may not be what you really want. Allstar is known for their more athletic fit in their unis, and they are excellant quality. I would suggest ordering straight from Fechtspot Lagenkampf in Germany as it is pretty cheap, and Uhlmann/Allstar only chage a 10-15% surcharge for custom cutting their kit. If you wanted to do a US vendor the Fencing Post is a great choice and they offer a 20% discount off of their list prices so it is almost as cheap as going through a German vendor without having to worry about overseas shipping, faxes and communication problems like transfering inches to CM and so forth.

Leon Paul makes what are the best unis around IMHO in their Sydney line, but their other gear is very nice as well, although you will pay almost as much for non-FIE stretch as you would for Allstar FIE. They also charge 30% for custom fitting gear. They make everything on site and have their own tailor to do the measurements. They have pretty much the single best fit and finish and attention to detail of any of the uniforms that I have seen, but rather or not that is worth the very large price differance depends a bit on your budget and what you value in a uniform.

PBT also does some good kit and I especially like their stretch nylon FIE knickers but as far as the jackets they are about the same as Uhlmann/Allstar for about the same money in the US, and in my experiance their custom cutting is not as precise and takes a bit longer.

The last option is TCA if you live close enough to actually drive their and have thier kit made around you. Their FIE uniform the same material as the Duelist and other high dollar kit (differant liner, but same outer and it is very nice) for much less money. Speaking of Duelist, I have no experiance with their custom cutting, but their uniforms are very nice. Their are some other Euro options such as Cartel that will custom cut unis as well, but then you are mainly dealing with FIE and a fair amount of money.

Hope all of that was some help!

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

I would suggest ordering straight from Fechtspot Lagenkampf in Germany --- [cut]

Cville, just out of curiosity: Why would you suggest anyone to order allstar kit - directly from Germany - but not from allstar itself, but some other equipment vendor?!

[CvilleFencer]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

Cville, just out of curiosity: Why would you suggest anyone to order allstar kit - directly from Germany - but not from allstar itself, but some other equipment vendor?!

Ah, a very good question! In the US we have this annoying concept of exclusive vendors, which means that, lets say for example I am the exclusive vendor for Spiffy! Brand fencing gear. Everyone knows Spiffy! gear is good quality and wants it. I work out a deal with Spiffy! that they will not sell, ship or sell at anything other than public rates to anyone in the US, be it vendor or private party. I then proceed to mark things up 50-100% percent or whatever I think I can get away with and not have to worry about other people competing with me in the "free market" with Spiffy! brand kit.

Allstar has just such and agreement with Blade Fencing, which runs a shell webpage for Allstar USA. They have adjusted their pricing somewhat but in the past were ridiculously overprices, their customer service sucks more than words and it was not unheard of for them to charge you and never send you your gear, or never send out replacements for stuff you sent back and claim that it was lost in the mail. As such, buying straight from Allstar is not an option. Things have changed a bit and now places like BG and AF are have Allstar kit, but still more expensive than Uhlmann kit or what you can get it for from a German vendor. PBT USA has a similar thing in place (same inflated prices but much nicer people and great customer support) which is why I do not recommend PBT much, as generally it is not as good as Uhlmann/Allstar or LP and in the US it costs just as much, instead of being about 30-50% cheaper than Uhlmann.

So that is the really short version of why I will not recommend buying in the US. Even though Blade has cleaned up its act in the face of all the new competition in the past few years, I have a long memory and am not real big on forgiveness. Hope all that made sense!

[MyraTrue]

I wince to tell you that FIE is the only way to go, and I'm not saying that entirely. But I have to agree with some of the above postings about Allstar kit. I prefere Uhlmann, I'm not a tall slender fencer. I'm a short... mmm... well endowed fencer. I have tried on Alllstar's knickers and jackets- not designed for someone like me.

However, they might be entirely ideal for you. I've noticed that a number of the thinner built fencers in my division will chose Allstar. I believe the cut runs similarly throughout their products, so even if you didn't buy FIE, you would still have a decent fit.

Other than that... the more you pay for a piece of uniform, the more it seems to be tailored to fit. For example, club priced knickers and jacket are often baggy and shapeless (We call it "unisex"... which means "cut for a large man, strong enough for a woman"). But the more money you pay, the more they seem to be contoured. Maybe moving up the line in quality might get you a better fit too?? Good luck.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

Ah, a very good question! In the US we have this annoying concept of exclusive vendors ---

Ok. I am familiar with the 'exclusive vendor' concept but wasn't aware this was the case with allstar.

And I'm sorry to hear about your former troubles with the allstar USA customer service.
To cut a long story short I have only bought equipment - kit etc. - from allstar GER and have never had any troubles. Their staff is always friendly and helpful, e-mails replied to within an hour sometimes, next day at the latest. (We're both in the CET time zone, but still.)

Thanks for clarifying!

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by MyraTrue

I prefere Uhlmann, I'm not a tall slender fencer. I'm a short... mmm... well endowed fencer. I have tried on Alllstar's knickers and jackets- not designed for someone like me.

The allstar and Uhlmann kit are basically the same, but yes, allstar has a little more narrow cut whereas the Uhlmann is a little wider.

That said, both are great quality and if you can afford it I really would suggest you get an FIE kit!

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

The allstar and Uhlmann kit are basically the same, but yes, allstar has a little more narrow cut whereas the Uhlmann is a little wider.

That said, both are great quality and if you can afford it I really would suggest you get an FIE kit! :)

One thing to note is that Uhlmann does NOT have an exclusive relationship with any US vendor and you CAN order directly from Germany. Interesting note given how tied Uhlmann and Allstar are, but there you have it.

For what it's worth, I'm a tall skinny fencer. My kit is Uhlmann FIE and I like it a lot. Most of it's a bit loose on me, but that's probably at least as much a function of my weighing 15 pounds more when I bought it than I do now as Uhlmann's cut. I've had it for just over 6 years now and have no complaints.

I also have a set of Prieur FIE whites that I like, although I have a problem with the sleeves being just a bit short. They work, but I need to adjust the sleeve back into the glove after many (most?) hits.

If I were buying more today I'd probably go with Allstar FIE given the wide-spread knowledge of their slight style difference from Uhlmann. Of course I'd try it on at a NAC first to confirm that it would fit me better.

-B :)

[UTEpee]

thanks for all the replies! i would like to be able to try out some of this stuff before making a large purchase, but it looks like i now have an excuse to save for FIE stuff